About Campa South

About Campa South Rentals

Campa South Rentals is a small family-owned campervan hire business run by Graham and Susan from Christchurch. They've been operating since at least 2019, offering fully self-contained campervans to international visitors and domestic travellers who want a personal, no-frills road trip through New Zealand. The business has 78 Google reviews averaging 5 stars — a number that reflects exactly what they deliver: direct, attentive service from the people who own the vehicles.

This is not a fleet company. You're not booking through a reservation system and hoping a stranger at the counter knows your rental. Graham and Susan handle the handover personally, walk you through the van, answer your route questions, and pick you up from the airport or nearby accommodation. That personal handover is rare in the campervan hire industry, where most companies have moved to automated check-in. At Campa South, you leave knowing how everything works.

The Fleet

Campa South runs a focused fleet of Toyota HiAce-based campervans from their Christchurch depot. The flagship is the Premium Deluxe Motorhome 2 Berth — a new-fit-out Toyota HiAce with automatic transmission, air-conditioned cab, solar panel for off-grid power, a king-size bed, separate toilet cubicle, and dual 240V/12V electrical system. At 5.5m long and 2.7m tall, it fits in most standard campsites and is self-contained certified for freedom camping anywhere that permits it.

The Standard Hi-Top Campervan option suits budget-conscious travellers or groups of three. It's based on a Toyota HiAce Hi-Top, manual transmission, with a fixed double and a single sleeping arrangement, full kitchen equipment, and the same linen and unlimited kilometre inclusion. Older model, lower price — a practical option for those who don't need the toilet cubicle or the automatic gearbox.

Every van includes linen, duvet, towels, picnic table and chairs, cooking equipment, 24hr AA roadside assistance, and free airport pickup and return. There are no hidden costs — GST and insurance are included in the quoted rate, and there are no extra driver fees.

Christchurch Base, One-Way to Auckland

The main depot is at 547 Pound Road, Yaldhurst — a 15-minute drive from Christchurch Airport. Campa South offers one-way hire between Christchurch and Auckland, which opens up the classic South Island–North Island route: fly into one city, drive the length of New Zealand, fly home from the other. The Christchurch campervan hire market is well-covered by larger operators, but Campa South's personal service sets them apart on the ground.

Auckland is available as a pickup or drop-off point by arrangement, staffed by a local contact who provides the same airport welcome. If you're starting your trip in the North Island and heading south, the Auckland campervan hire pickup option works well in practice, with multiple reviewers specifically praising how smooth it was.

How They Compare

Campa South is not trying to compete with the scale operators. Britz New Zealand or Mighty Campers will give you a newer vehicle and a nationwide depot network with 24/7 on-call support infrastructure. If you need a 4-berth or 6-berth motorhome, you'll need to look elsewhere — Campa South runs 2–3 berth vans only. And the Standard Hi-Top is an older model; the comfort level is a step below what you'd get from a fleet operator running sub-3-year-old vehicles.

What Campa South offers instead is value and personal service. The rates are competitive — reviewers consistently say they got better value here than at larger operators. The vehicles are older but well-maintained. And you're dealing directly with the owners, not with a contact centre. For Jucy or Spaceships alternatives focused on budget hire, the comparison is close on price but different in experience: Campa South is more personal, less corporate.

Who Campa South Is For

Book Campa South if you want: a personalised handover from the owners; competitive pricing on a self-contained 2-berth motorhome; free airport transfers; no hidden costs; or the flexibility of one-way Christchurch–Auckland hire in a vehicle you can trust.

Look elsewhere if you need: a large motorhome (4–6 berth); a brand-new vehicle under 2 years old; multiple depot locations across New Zealand; or 24/7 on-call support infrastructure beyond AA roadside.

Verdict

Campa South punches well above its size. A 5-star average across 78 reviews after years of operation is not luck — it reflects consistent, honest service from people who care about the outcome of your trip. The Premium Deluxe Motorhome with its new fit-out, automatic transmission, solar, and separate toilet is a genuinely comfortable vehicle for two people travelling the South Island. If the personal-service model appeals and the fleet fits your group size, Campa South is one of the better-value picks in the Christchurch market.

Pros & Cons

✓ Pros

  • Self-containment sticker brings you to some of NZ’s breathtaking but secluded areas
  • Fully-equipped campervans with a lot of impressive extras

✗ Cons

  • Mostly older campervan models

Vehicle Fleet

Premium Deluxe Motorhome 2 Berth campervan
Premium Deluxe Motorhome 2 Berth
👥 2 berth🚙 Toyota HiAce⚙️ Automatic
👥2 Berth⚙️Automatic🚽Toilet🚿Shower🍳Kitchen
Standard Hi-top Campervan 3 Berth campervan
Standard Hi-top Campervan 3 Berth
👥 3 berth🚙 Toyota HiAce Hi-Top⚙️ Manual
👥3 Berth⚙️Manual🚽Toilet🚿Shower🍳Kitchen

Features & Amenities

🍳Kitchen Facilities
🚿Shower / Toilet
☀️Solar Panels
❄️Refrigerator
🛏️Bedding Included
🔧24/7 Roadside Assist
📡GPS Navigation
🏕️Camping Equipment

Customer Reviews

✍️ Leave a Review
Juan and Julieta
📍 Argentina
★★★★★
Exellente service
Excellent service and very friendly Susan and Graham. The incredible campervan, with airport transfers. Highly recommended. Greetings from an Argentine couple.
Nov 2023
Dave
📍 United Kingdom
★★★★★
UK Travellers
Super family run business with excellent customer service. Seamless handover when taking and then returning the van after 2 weeks. Just nothing to fault and although the van was an older model everything was spot on. Any future requirements for a campervan hire will send us straight back to Campa South Rentals - no question.
Mar 2020
B. B
📍 Switzerland
★★★★☆
Budget is budget, but clearly worth the budget
We rather found campa south by chance, but they gave us a good offer, were very responsive and the reviews were nothing but good. We went for it and we never regretted to have done it differently. It was excellent to be picked up and brought again to the airport. That makes for a good start and end, which is not to underestimate. We got an excellent introduction, SIM-Cardand even spontaniously a bike rack! Very Sweet, Thanks again for that. The van clearly did it's miles and lived it's hours, but the essential things were working fine and the van is well equipped. And what puts you really in confidence is that you can rely on Campa South in case something wouldn't work. Example: We had a crack in the windshield, Graham was honest enough to tell us about it and when it finally cracked more (no security issue), we were able to get it fixed at Neslon Glass (who are also very fine guys) and had nothing to do with paperwork or any such! So, things can always break, but either it's a small thing or Graham will take care of it without playing the blame game. We think that's really worth the money if you can travel in such confidence. Thanks for that and for enabeling a great trip in NZ!
Mar 2020
D. Vega
📍 United Kingdom
★★★★★
Excellent Family Business with Anazing Service
We had excellent service from Campa South Rentals. At our pick up Graham gave us all the information we needed and took the time to show us around the van explaining how it worked. He even gifted my little boy some lovely biscuits for the trip which went down very well! The van was perfect for us reliable, well maintained and the perfect size for 3 people. On return Graham kindly dropped us near the airport so that we could pick up our next car hire. All in all a great family business - highly recommend.
Dec 2019
T. & J. Rousseau
📍 United States
★★★★★
Scout was perfect for exploring the South Island!
Scout’s Review: In researching and reaching out from the Pacific Northwest to New Zealand, Graham and Susan at Campa South Rentals proved to be reliable, reasonably/competitively priced and resourceful. We rented the 2008 Nissan Vanette Self-Contained Sleepervan for its unmarked, unadorned, plain, straight-forward and reliable drive to freedom camp in New Zealand. Graham and Susan pinpointed the map to the wild South Island we were anticipating. Graham was clear about the mechanics of the Vanette and offered his direct telephone number if the squeaky fan belt squeaked longer than it should in the startup; his briefing was essential, comprehensive and honest and definitely enhanced our travel. Susan was efficient in the communication process throughout and even tucked in a vintage plaid wool blanket for extra warmth as the end of summer was nearing. The best stargazing was over the moon with that wool blanket thrown across our shoulders. The wide boxy windows offered views of the boastful night skies. While watching sunrises standing just outside the Campervan, under the back hatch made for the perfect covered porch and making a pot of pressed coffee. The well packed kitchen was an ease for picnic suppers of lamb sausage and burgers, rice curries and those crisp local carrots. The chilly bin was perfect for packing ice and cold ginger beers. The compact size of the Vanette offered the freedom to explore the South Island coastlines, to drive the valley toward Mt. Cook, to take the White Road tour at Yealands Family Wines (www.yealands.co.nz), and to freedom camp at ocean shores and watch the cows come home at the tide lines. On our last day, we lingered at Birdlings Flat just south of Christchurch on Banks Peninsula to watch the rocks tumble from the wash of ocean waves. It was on the second day, we named this straightforward and worthy of adventure van, “Scout”. Scout made the best traveling companion to see New Zealand! Thank you for the wide open hospitality of New Zealand and Scout. Best Regards, Julie and Terry Rousseau Pacific Northwest. Washington State, USA This writing cannot go without saying, we started this travel following New Zealand’s darkest day on 15 March 2019. We offer our sorrow and compassion. The people and country met it all with good courage and faith in the common good. #theyareus. Washington State, USA
Apr 2019
K. Stephens
📍 Lao People's Democratic Republic
★★★★★
The best way to see NZ!
Graham and Sue run an amazing service. They gave great advice, including apps to use to find good camping sites. They were really helpful with pick-up and drop-off. The van we had was comfortable, clean, and fully equipped. Nothing broke!!! Everything was maintained to a high standard. Having a fully self-contained van meant we could stop anywhere and enjoy the scenery. Definitely recommend going the fully-self-contained way! And Graham and Sue are such friendly, welcoming, helpful people. Thank you so much for such a lovely experience. You really helped to make our stay in NZ enjoyable and stress-free!!!
Nov 2018

Photo Gallery

Video Reviews

▶️ YouTube Embed — Vehicle Tour
▶️ YouTube Embed — Customer Testimonial

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